How Washington Commanders Can Build Offense Around Jayden Daniels

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 2:03 AM

how washington commanders can build offense around jayden daniels

Given Kliff Kingbury's reputation coming into last season as the offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders, you might think the team was one of the most aggressive passing units in the NFL in 2024. According to Sports Info Solutions, however, Kingsbury's Commanders offense only attempted 52 passes that traveled 20 or more yards through the air. That number ranked the unit 22nd in deep ball passing effort, while the Indianapolis Colts led the league with 86 such attempts. Where Kingsbury and quarterback Jayden Daniels did excel was in having those deep attempts at least have the potential to produce yards. With 52 percent of deep passes being on-target, the Washington quarterback room finished 10th while the Cincinnati Bengals, led by Joe Burrow, finished first at 63.8 percent. From a quality, not quantity, standpoint, Daniels did very well for himself as a rookie.

Recently, Pro Football Focus did a deep, pun not intended, dive on those types of throws across the league, and while Daniels didn't crack the top five of the lists, he is very close... READ MORE: Commanders' Dan Quinn seriously impressed with 1 key thing from Deebo Samuel After an outstanding rookie season with the Washington Commanders, all eyes are on whether quarterback Jayden Daniels can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump. Daniels led the team to a breakout year, snapping a decades-long playoff drought and guiding them to the NFC Championship Game. But with a full offseason to study his tendencies, opposing defenses will be better prepared in Year 2. Fortunately for Washington fans, one NFL insider reports that the Commanders are already implementing a strategy to keep Daniels one step ahead.

Daniels became the first rookie in NFL history to rush for over 800 yards and throw for more than 3,500, finishing with 3,568 passing yards and 891 rushing yards last season. He led the Commanders to a 12-5 record and their first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991, throwing 25 touchdown passes, running for six more, and completing 69.0% of his throws. As he enters Year 2, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe recently revealed that Daniels had undergone a variety of changes, including bulking up to manage extra load as the Commanders still lack a rushing threat. “The first thing people noticed when he got into Year 2 is he’s been bulking up, he’s been in the weight room,” he said. “That was the question coming out of the draft: Will he be big enough? He played all 17 games and is getting a little bigger to handle the workload this year.”

The Washington Commanders wrapped up their latest practice with plenty of buzz around quarterback Jayden Daniels and his available offensive weapons. After the session, Daniels spoke with NFL Insider Lake Lewis Jr and gave an inside look into how he views his role within a loaded offensive unit. Lewis asked Daniels about the challenge of spreading the football around to all the weapons on offense, a question that struck at the heart of what Commanders fans have been eager to know. Daniels responded with confidence. “Nah, nah, nah, hey, I tell them all the time, man, I go where the defense allows me to throw the football, but I just think it just makes our offense that much more... “If they want to play man, I could pick whoever I want to throw the ball.

If they want to go zone and stuff like that, I know we’re going to have guys that can find the zones and have catch-and-run opportunities.” Daniels’ words reflect a calm and measured mindset for a second-year quarterback preparing for the grind of the NFL season. Rather than focusing on forcing throws to specific players, he believes in taking what defenses give him. His answer shows maturity, but it also highlights the excitement of working with playmakers like Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and tight end Zach Ertz. By sticking to his philosophy, Daniels expects to maximize the strengths of everyone around him. For a Commanders team looking to build consistency on offense, his approach is exactly what head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury envisioned when they drafted him.

The Washington Commanders want to win as many games as possible in general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn's first season. That's the ultimate barometer for success in the NFL, but the larger goal for the new front office is to discover whether No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels can be the guy for years to come. The latter of those priorities is still in the beginning of a long-term process, but the initial results, albeit a small sample size, have been positive. If they continue in that direction, perhaps the short-term aspirations can be achieved as well. After putting together a mostly fine Week 1 performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Daniels made his home debut in front of a sold-out crowd and showed marked improvement, rushing less and passing more...

Daniels' progression had a sanguine effect on the Commanders' offense, and his coaches expect that trend to continue. "I think he has a real conscience for the ball and security for it," Quinn said. "That was one of the things that made him so unique coming out of college, that many touchdowns for that many interceptions. And so, he has a real mindset about it. It's a really important thing for us, taking care of the ball." Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium during their Week 2 matchup against the New York Giants.

(Emilee Fails, Kourtney Carroll and Washington Commanders staff) Time crunch?Get all your NFL news here in just 60 words Jayden Daniels had quite the stellar and mercurial rookie campaign with the Washington Commanders. He threw for just over 3500 yards and added another 891 on the ground last season. This dynamic playmaking ability, combined with his synergy with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, led to the former LSU star winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. The 24-year-old quarterback recently shared a bit of inside information on how he led the offense to such great heights last season — while, of course, padding his own stats along the way.

He revealed that the Kingsbury-led offense is built around pro-style concepts. And interestingly, they don’t even need to huddle. Daniels would often call quick, muddle huddles after each play, and that would be enough. His players already know where to line up from there, which also gives the opposing defense less time to regroup. And if anything unexpected comes up, Daniels can always fall back on hand signals. “I think for us, we got pro-style concepts,” Daniels told Jon Gruden on his podcast.

“We just, we don’t huddle half the time. Or a majority of the time, I would say. Not even half of the time. Sometimes we might huddle. It’s like a little muddle huddle, where I’m like speaking to everybody. Might give a little hand signal here and there.

But it’s unique and it fits us.” Led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Washington Commanders played in the NFC Championship game in 2024. Big things were expected in 2025, but injuries had other ideas. Now 3-6, the Commanders are on the outside looking in on the NFC playoff picture, and it's been a lost season for Daniels due to injuries, including a dislocated elbow last week. The biggest storyline of Washington's offseason was wide receiver Terry McLaurin's contract standoff. While McLaurin and the Commanders eventually settled on a three-year extension two weeks before the season opener, it took him missing OTAs, training camp and the preseason.

Unsurprisingly, McLaurin injured his quad in Week 3, returned in Week 8, and will be out for his sixth game on Sunday when Washington hosts the Detroit Lions. It's been that type of season for the Commanders. And Washington's lack of depth at wide receiver is more glaring than ever. While we are still months away from the 2026 NFL draft, the Commanders look like a contender for a top-10 pick, which could land them one of the draft's top receiver prospects. In a new mock draft for The Athletic, Nick Baumgardner has Washington selecting Arizona State wideout Jordyn Tyson with the No. 9 overall pick.

The Commanders could go with an edge in Round 1, but Jayden Daniels still needs a big-time, future No. 1 receiver who can help set a tone for the rest of the offense. And Tyson is the most complete WR in this draft. He blocks, and wins both in the air and underneath. Tyson does everything — and does it well.

How Washington Commanders Can Build Offense Around Jayden Daniels

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